A cobpobation



W. D. RICHARDSON METHOD Fon soumfvm NonMALLY soun susTANcEs.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. D. 1916.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

` `M anormal.;

Wt D. RICHARDSON METHUD FOR SOLIDIFYLNG NOHMALLY SOLID SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. B1 1916.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

WILLIAM D. BIOHABJJSOIF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, BBIGNOB TO SWIFT m OOHPANY,

AOil' OHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

METHOD FOB. 4SlOllZilIllIIE'fYING NOBMALLY-BOLDJ SUBSTANCS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Allg. 5, 1919.

Application tied January 8, 1916. Serial Illo.4 70,980.

method' 'of manufacturing soa the liquid or molten soap is. taken from t e kettle and introduced into a. crutcher, or the soap may be made in the crutcher. "While in the crutcher, this soa is agitated and mixed with desired additional ingredients, such as sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, borax,

and 'the like. The soap is then preferably dropped from the crutcher into a frame, forming a mold, with removable sides, and usually arran ed upon a truck. In this mold, the liquld or molten soap yis allowed to cool and solidify and this usuall requiresA from one to four days time, epending upon conditions, such as tem erature, air` circulation, and the like. A r the soap has thus solidified the sides of the frame are removed, and the frame of soap is then cut into slabs,b what is known as a slabbin machine. l liese slabs are subsequently cut into cakes or bars, by a cutting machine, after which the cakes or bars are dried, pressed, wrapped and packed. .This ordinary method of solidifying soap and forming it intol cakes orbars is time consuming and expensive.A Besides this, the frames or molds occupy a large amount of storage s ace. In theslabbing and cuttin operations much waste soap is rodu n.which must be remelted, reframe reslabbed, and re'cut. When yin the frames or Vmolds air holes are often formed in the soap, and when this is discovered, the cakes`or barshavin'l them mst be remelted andl again :wv throu h the usual process.

It 1s customary, in the manufacture of oleomrgarin, tobi-ing together in a suitable mixer,\" ils, fats, ripened milk, cream, and

in some instances-,coloring matter. After sectional view througlh an ap bevel gear receives 'rotation these ingredients are mixed together and emulsied for a suiicient le h of time, the

-emulsion is allowed to come 1n contact with cold water in. order to solidify it, or the same ma be solidified b means of cooling y.

rolls. T e soliedmaterlal is-then put into trucks and worked through various mixers, workers and blenders, durin which processes, salt, butter, ripened m1 and cream, are added in accordance with the manufacturing formula for the brand of oleomarsuch as soap, butter, oleomargarin or the` like, in a cheap, expeditious, convenient and highly satisfactory manner,

In the accompanying drawings forming a art of this specification and in which I ave shown apparatus suitable for the practice of my methods or invention,

Figure 1 is a central `vertical longitudinal aratus, adapted for use in my met od of so idifying soa Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view wit parts broken away, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 3 is a lcentral vertical longitudinal sectional view throu h an ap aratus adapted for usein myV me od ofso 'difying oleomargarin or the. like.

Attention being called first to Fig'. 1, the humoral 5 designates a mixing crutcher, preferably having a jacket 6,' for receiving steam or other suitablel heating medium. In this crutcher, the soa from the kettle is a itated and mixed wi any desired ingre 'ents, such as sodium carbonate, sodium ,-silicate, borax or the like. The soaprmay be made in the crutcher, if desired. heagitating means for the soap. consists of a dasher 7, carried by a. vertically rotating shaft 8, driven bya beveled gaat 9. This m n bevel gear 10 carried by a shaft 11. The crutcher 5 is rovided at its `owen endv a preferab t tapered bottom 12, a depending tu-be 13. This tube di arges into the top of a referabl tank or chamherfll.

V-shaped The bottom of the tank 14 is preferably substantially semicircular in cross-section, as shown at 16, and receives therein a spiral conveyor 17, driven by a horizontal shaft 18 having a pulley 19 rigidly mounted upon the outer end. The function of this conveyor is to force the more or less liquid or plastic soap from the bottom of the tank 14 into a discharge pipe or mouth 19, which discharges into a receiving hopper 20, provided with a double wall or jacket 21, forming a space for receiving a cooling medium, such as brine or the like. This double walled receiving hopper is carried by or formed upon a long preferably horizontal coolin yand compression tube or casing 22, and lea s into the upper portion thereof, as shown at 23.

The tube 22 is provided with a jacket or oiiter wall 22', forming a space in free communication with the jacket space of the hopper 20, and also adapted to receive a cooling or freezing medium such as brine or the like. The tube 22- receives a preferably spiral compression conveyer 4; carried h a shaft 25. This/shaft has a ulley 26 rigi ly mounted upon its free end and receives rotation from anysuitable source. The outlet or discharge end ofthe tube 22 is referably provided with a contracted nec 27, having a contracted orifice or openin 28, of the desired cross sectional area an shape for the bars of soap to be formed. The more A or less liquid or plastic soap enterin ythe intake end of tube 22 is engageil by the conveyer and-in the presence ofthe cooling medium is impelled forwardly toward the outlet end thereof. By the time the soap reaches the orifice 28, it is converted into a solid and is forced through the orifice 28, in

this solid condition and under suitable pressure. This com ression tendsto remove all air holes from t e soap. In order that there may he no tendency for the solid com sition or soap to stick or adhere to the w s of the orifice 28, such walls |are preferably surrounded by a steam jacket or tube 28', where- 4by the exterior of the soap is melted, during its passagethrough the orifice to maintain a suitable lubrication. An other suitable means may be em loyed to eat the walls of In Fig. 3, 1 have shbwn apparatus for g solidifying oleomargarin. The numeral 31 designates a jacketed tank or 4miner which may be suitably heated, and adapted for the shape.

Within this tank 31 are arranged agitatingV means embodying vertical dashers 32, driven by shafts 33, carrying bevel gears 34. These bevel gears are driven by bevel gears 35, driven by a shaft 36. The oleomargarin in the liquid or plastic state is discharged from the tank 31 through an outlet pipe 37 and is conducted or drawn through this pipe b gravity or by means of a pump 38, whic preferably has a jacket for the reception of a coollng medium, such as brine, whereby such pump serves as precooling means. The pump 38 discharges intoa horizontal coolmg and compression tube or casing 39, as shown at 40. Mounted for rotation within thls compression tube is a spiral conveyer 41, carrled by a shaft 42, Vreceiving its rotation from a pulley 43. This tube 39 is jacketed or provided with a double' wall forming a space .44, 'for receiving a cooling medium, such as brine. The forward end of the tube 44 is provided with a ta ered or reduced neck 45, having a reduc outlet orifice 46. This orifice is surrounded by a heading jacket or tube 47, adapted to receive steam or the like. Arranged near the orifice 46 are conveyor rolls 48 and a pan 49 is disposed adjacent thereto. The more or less liquid or plastic oleomargarin upon entering the intake end of the tube 39 1s acted upon by the conveyer 41 and im elled forwardly toward the orifice 46 un er suitable pressure while being subjected to the action of the coolingl medium. By the time the oleomargarin as' reached the orifice 46 it is solidified, and this solid composition is forced through the orifice, compressed, and passes there rom in the form of bars or the like, having the desired cross sectional size and The walls of the Iorifice may be heated to provide suitable lubrication, as hereinabove explained.V

In the practice of my methods of solidifying soap, butterin and other normal y solid compositions, I have found it desirable, as an aid in the final solidification, to allow the composition as it discharges fromthe shapin orifice, to come in con ct with cold air. 'Ieixis contact with cold air may be effectively brought about by directing a cold air current, from an electric fan or blower, u on the composition. .I have also found it vantageous to carry out my methods in a refrigerated room, the air in which has been chilled below ordinary room temperature although I have found that satisfactory results maybe obtained by the practice of my methods in a room having ordinary room temperaturel It is to be understood that the forms of i sorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

The herein described method of forming normally solid material into bars or the like, which consists in introducing the material while heated and in a more or less plastic or liquid state into one end of an elongated space, subjecting the mass throughout the greater portion of its length and throughout substantially the entire cross sectional area of said greater portion of the length to agitation and longitudinal propelling action toward the opposite end of the elongated space, the agitation being Stopped at a point spaced a substantial distance from the leading end of the mass, simultaneously subjecting the mass throughout its entire length to the action of a cooling fluid whereby the mass becomes more or less solid at the leading end portion, and propelling the leading end portion of the mass without agitation and by means of the agitated portion of the mass through an uninterrupted contracted passage of substantial length to compress the more or less Solid end portion and form the same into a bar of suitable shape.

In testimon whereof I aix my signature 30 in presence oy two Witnesses.

WILLIAM D. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

AARON R. EPPSTEIN, ELIZABETH BRADLEY. 

